Anyone out there have any info on a (1970's ???) Mobil character named "Mr Dirt"? Any info appreciated...
Thanks for your time,
-Paul
His name was Ronny Graham. Composer, songwriter, actor, comedian, director and author. He was a night-club comic throughout the USA, and wrote songs for Broadway revues including "New Faces" (1952, 1956, and 1962) and also for Jules Monk's night-club revues (he appeared in "Take Five") and on television, and he had a part in the Broadway production of "The Tender Trap." He also composed the Broadway stage score for "Bravo, Giovanni!." Joining ASCAP in 1952, his chief musical collaborator was Milton Schafer, and his popular songs included the parody tune "The Inquisition" (for the film History of the World: Part I (1981)), "It's A Wonderful Day to Be Seventeen," "Lucky Pierre," "Take Off the Mask," "I'm in Love with Miss Logan," "Harry the Hipster," "Steady, Steady," "Ah, Camminare!," and "I'm All I've Got". He also was on an episode of M*A*S*H He die in 1999. Those Mobil ads were funny.
Those ads were rated as the top36 best of the 100 best commercials. (Not sure who did the ranking???) He was great at portraying the "bad gas from the competitor..."I'm Mr. Dirt......
Damn, as an advertising guy myself , I had forgotten those Hilarious commercials !!!!!!!! he used to advertise Mobil I in Houston on television too. heck, I thought the concept of a synthetic oil was facinating from the get go. Then Fina brought out a semi synthetic oil that was marketed against Mobil I . Ed Shaver
Thanks Alex. The other day I was having a discussion with another petrohead friend of mine about how advertising has changed over the years and this came up. Neither of us could remember his actual name. After you posted the name I searched and searched for the old commercial to watch it again, but no luck yet. I will keep searching.
Thanks again,
-Paul
I cant recall Mr. Dirt. If you find anything Paul, post it.
John
Dammn shame too, i used to laugh muh head off between him an Ernest sellin Marva Maid milk !!!!!!! Ed Shaver
Ernest did a great number of milk companies. I t hink we had him do some power company ads for us. Will have to check.